Results of Twitter and Genealogy survey

Those of my readers who also follow me on Twitter ( @michaelhait ) may have participated in the following survey. For those that are unaware, last weekend I created an online survey using www.surveymonkey.com to see how people have used Twitter to further their genealogical activities. I promised to post the results, so here they are, with my analysis added. In total, 76 Twitter users responded.

Please feel free to view these results and make your own assessments. However, please do not publish this information without credit. This survey was taken as part of research into an article that I am working on for a major genealogy magazine. If you would like to publish this information, please email me with the details as to how you want to use it, to michael.hait@hotmail.com .

1-1. For which of the following genealogy-related activities have you used Twitter?

Answered question: 76 Skipped question: 0

Discovering new and interesting Genealogy-related blogs or websites: 68 (89.5%)

Connecting with professional genealogists: 33 (43.4%)

Promoting your Genealogy-related blog: 29 (38.2%)

Advertising your surnames of interest: 28 (36.8%)

Seeking advice in genealogy methodology or records: 18 (23.7%)

Advertising your brickwalls: 10 (13.2%)

Connecting with distant relatives: 9 (11.8%)

Other: 16 (21.1%)

Summary of “Other” responses:

Promotion: 5

Resources/articles: 4

Networking with other genealogists: 3

Inspiration: 1

2-1. How successful have you been in these endeavors? (1 being low rate of success; 5 being high rate of success)

Answered question: 63 Skipped question: 13

1

2

3

4

5

N/A

Rating Avg

Response Count

Connecting with distant relatives

14

3

1

1

4

32

2.04

(55-32) 23

Advertising your brickwalls

10

5

2

2

1

33

1.95

(53-33) 20

Advertising your surnames of interest

16

4

6

3

3

23

2.16

(55-23) 32

Seeking advice in genealogy methodology or records

5

4

7

11

3

24

3.10

(54-24) 30

Promoting your Genealogy-related blog

6

3

6

6

11

22

3.41

(54-22) 32

Discovering new and interesting Genealogy-related blogs or websites

3

4

8

22

22

2

3.95

(61-2) 59

Connecting with professional genealogists

3

3

9

5

15

21

3.74

(56-21) 35

2-2. Do you have any specific success story that you would like to share?

Answered question: 17 Skipped question: 59

“Found a distant cousin”

“I’ve gathered several ideas for my own genealogy & gotten quite a few ideas for articles! Great! I’ve also decided to start advertising my brick walls, and surnames. Unfortunately, my brick walls involve JONES & SMITH! I plan to begin a genealogy blog soon, and will certainly advertise it at Twitter when I do!!”

“I was Twittering during the NERGC and was able to meet a couple other Twitterers who were also at the conference, including Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak. And Dick Eastman, but that was more do with with me sitting in the APG booth at the time…”

“Not yet, but I could be coaxed in a month or so. [The success story is still developing.]”

“Nothing in particular, but my blog following has really increased and I have a lot of valuable and useful comments that i did not get before I started to Tweet. I have also found some neat blogs to follow that I did not know about before.”

“I haven’t really been able to get much help through Twiter, but I am hoping that by promoting my blog, that it may help later on.”

“Tweated about my brickwalls and surnames but no one responded. Did find some interesting people to follow.”

3-1. How often do you use Twitter?

Answered question: 61 Skipped question: 15

One (1) hour daily 20 (32.8%)

Three (3) hours daily 15 (24.6%)

Less than one (1) hour daily 15 (24.6%)

Over six (6) hours daily 7 (11.5%)

Every other day 4 (6.6%)

3-2. Do you use a stand-alone Twitter reader (i.e. TweetDeck)? Please identify.

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CG and Certified Genealogist are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, used under license by board certificants after periodic competency evaluation, and the board name is registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.

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